Secretary of State Jim Condos is pleased to announce the release of the 2013 Help America Vote Act’s (HAVA) Polling Place Accessibility Grant program. These grants must be used to help ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to polling places, and that they may vote privately and independently. Applications will be considered from both municipalities and schools that serve as polling places.

“As Vermont’s Chief Elections Officer, I present this Request for Proposals (RFP) as a priority of my office to not only encourage, but to assist in providing easily accessible voting for those who would otherwise have difficulty entering the polling place or maintaining their privacy. While there is generally on-site help for people, these grants allow voters to be certain of their own privacy and independence as they exercise their constitutional right to vote,” stated Condos.

The total amount available is $85,000, and the maximum grant award per request will be $5,000. Larger towns and cities, or those polling places that sustained damage from tropical storm Irene can seek approval to exceed $5,000, but must do so prior to submitting a proposal.

The deadline for receipt of proposals is Monday, February 18, 2013 no later than 3:30 pm. This is not a postmark date.

The RFP can be found online at http://vermont-elections.org/hava.html

This program is funded entirely with federal funds and all projects must be completed by July 30, 2014. For further information or questions, please contact Linda Hall at linda.b.hall@sec.state.vt.us or (802)828-0586.